Two people say something stupid, the Internet goes crazy and a fine little town gets smeared around the world.

I rise in defense of Woodland, North Carolina.

Regrettably, I’m not defending the town against the usual hit squad of right-wing Republicans who stereotype people, like Muslims and gays.

This time, the stereotyping is by some of my liberal Democratic friends.

First, a disclaimer. My family comes from Hertford County next door. I have strong family ties and good friends in Woodland. So, yes, I’m biased. I also know something about the town and the people there.

That it has a lot of Democrats, for one thing. Blacks and whites.

And that it’s my favorite political-trivia question: What are the only two of North Carolina’s 100 counties that George McGovern carried in 1972? Answer: Orange (of course) and Northampton (Woodland).

But the Democratic blogosphere exploded in ridicule when Woodland’s town council rejected a solar farm. And, yes, two residents made easy-to-ridicule objections. Which they probably got from Fox News or the Internet or a sophisticated disinformation campaign.

In fact, as John Murawski reported in the N&O (“Rural NC town mocked on social media after passing solar moratorium”) Woodland had some not-so-ridiculous reasons for nixing the farm. Like it already has three solar farms. And this one would be 50 feet from some people’s homes.

But let’s not wait for facts. Ridicule first, research later – or never.

This a town bypassed by the prosperity we enjoy in Raleigh, Charlotte and Chapel Hill. Long-timers have watched factories shut down, businesses wither away and young people leave or descend into drugs.

People in Woodland don’t buy their coffee at Starbucks or their groceries at Whole Foods. They suspect we look down on them and make fun of them.

And we can’t understand why they don’t vote for us.